


In which no one likes coffee

by ivyness



Series: AU Yeah August 2018 [20]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shop, M/M, au yeah august
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-20
Updated: 2018-08-20
Packaged: 2019-06-30 12:10:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15751407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ivyness/pseuds/ivyness
Summary: No one likes coffee





	In which no one likes coffee

Greg didn’t even like coffee but he liked having enough money to buy groceries. He had been working at the coffee shop for a year now, taking the early morning shifts that no one else wanted. Greg didn’t like waking up early but he liked the quiet in the dark hours before the sun rose as he opened the shop: starting up the machines, filling the display case, and writing out the menu. He didn’t get many customers on this shift, just the few random stranglers from the tail end of a late night. Greg’s odd hours meant he didn’t get any regulars. Except for the one.

The bell on the door chimed softly and Greg’s only regular customer walked in. He was an almost annoyingly stereotypical British gentleman, dressed in a well-tailored, plain grey suit. The long handled black umbrella that he always carried was tucked into the crook of his arm, and he was followed by woman in a black dress, brown hair tumbling artfully around her shoulders and eyes fixed on the blackberry in her hands. She walked swiftly and calmly as her fingers flew over the keyboard despite the treacherous height of her stilettos. 

“What can I get for you?” Greg asked, out of habit, despite knowing exactly what Mycroft would order.

Mycroft smiled, a fake, barely there thing. “Is like to try the new coffee on your menu please, Gregory.”

Greg grinned, he knew for a fact that Mycroft didn’t like coffee. He didn’t like cappuccinos, macchiatos, or expressos. He didn’t even like the shop’s tea or juice or the cakes and sandwiches from the display. 

“Sure thing, Mycroft,” Greg said with a mischievous grin. “One bacon flavored coffee with caramel syrup and celery sprinkles coming right up.”

Mycroft nodded, his blank expression unwavering. His associate looked a little green around the edges and she had stopped texting for a full 15 seconds to look at the other man in horror.

Greg had been working at the store for a month, the first time Mycroft walked in. He had just been allowed to open the shop on his own. 

Mycroft had looked around the place with distaste, stepping carefully to avoid touching anything. Greg had been nervous, the manager had told him they didn’t get a lot of customers that early in the morning, let alone one who looked like they owned half of London. 

Mycroft had barely glanced at the menu before ordering the the first drink listed. He had cautiously sipped his Americano and grimaced in disgust. Instead of yelling at Greg for messing up, throwing it in the garbage or complaining loudly for a refund, Mycroft had tipped obscenely well and moved to sit at the corner table across from the counter. Then for the next 47 minutes, Mycroft had warmed his hands on the cup of coffee and watched intently as Greg valiantly failed at pretending the shop was still empty. 

Mycroft had taken to coming to the coffee shop nearly everyday. He clearly didn’t like coffee and yet Mycroft had almost made it all the way through the menu and still not found a drink he liked. 

That’s when Greg started making new menu items for Mycroft. It started out relatively normal: dark Columbian roast with milk and orange zest. Mycroft had taken a full three sips of that and quirked his lips in the ghost of a smile before taking a seat at his usual table. 

That smile had made him feel giddy like a child and had haunted him though the week. He wanted to make Mycroft smile again. 

The problem was: Greg wasn’t all that good of a barista. There were only so many new coffee combinations he could think of before he ended up with egg yolk coffee with whipped cream. 

Greg was honestly a bit smitten. But he needed to ask Mycroft out on a date before he accidentally gave the man food poisoning.


End file.
